It was closer than it should've been, but Finland was able to win Latvia in overtime 3-2, so they win their division/conference. Finland will face Slovakia and Russia will face USA in the next round. Finland did have a 2nd period 3-1 goal, which was disallowed for some unexplainable reason after video review. It went of the foot of a Finnish player, but there was absolutely no kicking motion involved. I have to believe that that goal would've been enough to clinch the win before overtime. Anyway, it doesn't matter since the overtime/shootout win was all they needed.

Oh yeah, I was looking at it wrong & thinking USA/Finland were gonna' meet in the quarterfinals. No problem, they'll just have to meet in the Finals, . You guys are the best team in O/T, could be trouble for SWE, SUI or USA if the Finnish strategy is to keep the game close & win it at the end, eh?

The Wings dropped the opener against Chicago ... <sigh> ... they played 2 good periods of hockey. I remain optimistic and hope they can pull this one out in 6 or 7, but the Blackhawks have been the team to beat from the start ... everyone's griping about the decision to keep Franzen & trade Hossa now, .

Blackhawks face elimination as Red Wings take Game 4, Toews unravels: The Chicago Blackhawks’ history-making season is slipping into the same abyss that swallowed up other Presidents Trophy winners who couldn’t fulfill the promise of their regular-season success.

The Detroit Red Wings won Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals, 2-0, to take a 3-1 lead and push the Hawks to an elimination game back in Chicago on Saturday.

The unraveling of the Blackhawks continued in Game 4.

Suddenly, captain Jonathan Toews isn’t just failing to score goals – he was a complete liability, taking three straight minor penalties in the second period. On the second one, the Red Wings finally solved the Chicago penalty kill, as Jakub Kindl scored with one second left on the man advantage.

The Blackhawks had killed the first 30 power plays they had faced in the postseason, and tied an NHL record for not allowing a power-play goal for their first eight games of the postseason.

Coach Joel Quenneville scrambled his lines before Game 4, putting Toews with Patrick Kane. The results didn’t arrive: Howard earned his second career shutout with 28 saves. Chicago brought the heat in the third period, but couldn’t break through before Dan Cleary’s empty netter iced it.

So the captain couldn’t stay out of the sin bin, the penalty kill failed and the coach as yet again out-coached by his adversary on the other bench.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings are looking more and more like their vintage playoff selves with each victory. Despite the inexperience on the roster, especially the blue line, the Wings have frustrated the Stanley Cup favorites to the brink of elimination.

Before the game yesterday, I was listening to an interview with RedWing H/C, Mike Babcock. It contained mostly the usual politically correct stuff, so I wasn't paying that close attention ... and then he said something like this, "Every time they put on our sweater, they're expected to play like RedWings. They owe that to Gordie (Howe) and Ted (Lindsey) and all the other guys that played before them. They're not expected to win like those RedWings, but they're expected to play like them".

Right then & there I knew we were going to win, . Hell, I was ready to lace 'em up, .

Old custom originating in Detroit back during the Original Six when they only needed to win two best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup. The eight arms of an octopus signify the 8 victories and they'll toss 'em on the ice after a win (or during a game). Used to only be during the Cup series (I believe), but evolved into anytime during the playoffs. Head zamboni driver, Al Sobotka (pictured with Suh), used to pick 'em up and swing them around above his head before the league mandated only the officials could pick them off the ice ... it was a real motivator, Joe Louis Arena would explode, .

Most people get 'em from the Superior Fish Company in Royal Oak. While I understand the practice, never threw anything on the ice except the one time my kid scored a hat trick ... and then all the other parents encouraged me to do so, after which I was summarily escorted from the arena, .

Well, we took it on the chin in Game 6, boys ... we had 'em down & let 'em back up. Yeah, they're the President's Trophy winners, they're the favorites and we're heading back to their barn for Game 7 ... it's always darkest before the dawn, boys ... it's always darkest before the dawn. Skate with your heads up, keep your legs moving and for crissake, don't leave a man alone in front of the net on the penalty-kill!